Escaping the Past
by Christa982
Summary: moira and her best friend jane have successfully started a new life, far from the last. new challenges lie ahead and the past doesn't always stay where it belongs. fred/george/moira/malfoy
1. Chapter 1

"If I had a dollar for each time I had to clean up after those damn twins-"

"Why haven't you spoken to your boss about placing a charm on the door to keep their products from coming in?"

"Because I would have to come up with a charm for each and every single one. They always have new ones coming out so I would never be able to keep up." Ding. "Good evening, sir. Can I help you find something?"

"I am looking for a book on Saro Powder" said the hooded figure slowly.

"I'm not sure how much we have on that, it's a rather uncommon request. Please follow me. It should be in either the dark magic section or in with the rare herbs." She walked him to the far back corner and whispered a spell that drew the two books they had containing references to Saro powder. "I'm afraid this is all we have sir. Please take your time looking through them. Let me know if you need me to put an order in for more books on Saro powder."

He sunk against the shelf, never allowing her to see him face. This was not unusual in the store during evenings so she thought nothing of it after that.

"Jane, I think I need a night out. I close up at the end of the hour and I could use a drink." Jane squealed with excitement. Moira never did anything fun for herself. They had finished school just a few years before and everything that had happened was well buried with it. Now and then someone popped up from that town but it was rare. No one would dare acknowledge them.

Two hours and several beers later the girls found themselves talking to random guys at the bar.

"Then he said, That's no boulder, that's the fat lady!" Several of the guys bent over laughing. The girls giggled shyly, pretending to know what they were talking about. Everyone here had attended the local school, Hogwarts. There was a lot Moira had learned about the school from her books at the store, but she had never been inside of the school.

"Oh, Moira! I forgot to tell you! There is an opening for a professor at Hogwarts! I applied last week. I don't know if they will take me, I don't have the most experience. Hopefully, they like new grads!" Jane had finished grad school in only two years. She had a knack for magical and muggle history.

"You want to be a professor?" One of the guys said smugly. "Hey guys, we got a little nerd over here! What position are you applying for? Housekeeping?" With that the entire group of guys started making cat calls.

"Well, I suppose it is getting late. Shall we head home?" Moira pointed towards the door. Jane paid the tab for the both of them and followed happy that her best friend wanted to leave. They barely made it around the corner when they heard the cat calls once again. Two of the guys had decided that the conversation needed to continue. The girls walked faster, not looking back. They took a few turns and windy alleyways to try and loose them.

"Hey ladies, where did you go? We didn't mean to scare you away." They yelled in their drunken stupor.

The girls reached Jane's apartment and slipped inside. "You want to stay the night?"

"No, it's ok. I need to head back. I have a book shipment coming in early. Thanks though. You go to bed. I'll slip out in just a few minutes. I doubt they will keep this up for much longer." Moira watched the pictures on the wall. None of them were of people, just places. It was better to not have people in your pictures in case _they_ found them. Half an hour had passed when she decided to brave the wind and head home. Her bed was waiting for her and it had been a long day. Her head buzzed a bit but the cool air made her feel alive. The sky was clear and the stars were twinkling to their own beat.

A shadow next to her moved. She was grabbed and pulled into a doorway. A hand was over her mouth and her arms were pinned. "Shh." The voice belonged to the man holding her. He smelt like sugar but her heart was racing. _They found me. But we were so careful. How did they find out?_ The surge of adrenaline helped sober her up. She felt the pattern her assailant was breathing, slow and steady; the pattern of someone who is either calm or well controlled. It was too dark to see a reflection in any of the nearby windows. "I'm sorry," the voice whispered into her ear. "The Saro powder wasn't as easy to procure as I expected. I'm afraid you walked by at the wrong time." The arms pulled her backwards and through the door. She was released as the figure locked and charmed the door. "Follow me." It walked down a dark hall. There was also a spell on the shop keeping all of its contents hidden in shadow just as the man was.

She managed to follow him without tripping. Normally her eyes would've normally adjusted to the darkness in a matter of seconds. With as much time as she had spent in the dark during those many years ago, she knew this wasn't a normal dark.

"Nox minimo" the voice said. She saw him slowly come into focus. He took the hood off and out popped the most unusually obnoxious shade of red hair. "So it turns out that it's a very rare powder and the people who have it want to keep it. I think I got enough to finish my newest invention though!"

"I'm sorry but who are you?"

"I'm Fred. Sorry for all of the mystery. I hope I didn't frighten you."

"Why am I here? And .. well.. where is here anyways?"

"This is my and my brother's shop. This is the back room. Sorry to keep it in darkness but our products are rather unruly and I didn't want to draw any attention just yet."

Moira looked around, it was a small room. There were different colored spills, scorch marks, a hat that kept turning itself inside out, and other objects she could not identify. "Who's attention are you trying to avoid exactly?"

"Oh no one you need to worry about. But I would suggest you stay here for the rest of the night. They aren't ones to give up quickly." He smirked and started busying himself with a caldron on a wooden table.

"Um, what exactly do I do in the mean time?" She had already decided that whoever the original owner of the Saro powder was was someone she didn't want to mess with. The Saro powder was rare for a reason. "And what are you using the Saro powder for?"

"It is normally used for, well, not so pleasant effects. I intend to use it in order to balance out something. I can't give you the details. It won't be on sale until next summer. If this works anyways." He started busying himself with the contents on the table once again. "Okay, now that is that. There is nothing that can be done until tomorrow. Patience is George's thing, not mine."

"I'm sorry? George?"

"My brother of course. Are you not familiar with our work?"

She suddenly figured out who he was. "YOU! You are the twins aren't you?" She said accusingly. He jumped back pretending to be hurt and confused. "Your damn pranks keep making a mess of my shop! I am so sick of cleaning up after you two!"

"Hey hey hey! You should've just said something. I would've at least watched while you cleaned." He laughed and motioned for her to follow him out of the room. He proceeded up stairs. There was a small couch in front of a fireplace. He ignited the logs. "Tea?"

"Well since I have nowhere else to be at one o'clock in the morning…" She rolled her eyes and sat on the couch giving up on her thoughts of just walking out the front door.


	2. Chapter 2

Escaping the Past

Chpt2

"Thank you for the tea. So when can I head home?" Moira asked Fred as they sat facing the fire. It had been a couple of hours since he had pulled her into his shop avoiding unseen assailants whom he said were looking for him. She believed she could trust him. Everyone in town knew him and his brother very well.

"Probably not until near sunrise." He set his cup down on the floor and turned to face her. "I am really sorry if you are uncomfortable. I don't mean to hold you hostage or anything. I really just don't want you to get hurt."

"I believe you. I am not uncomfortable, just tired." He left the room and returned with a blanket and a pillow.

"It's not much but it's comfortable and clean. You are welcome to sleep. I'll stay up and watch the shop. I can wake you when it's safe to leave."

She shook her head. There is no way she could sleep in a strange place. It was too ingrained in her to stay vigilant in unfamiliar places. "That's alright." She wrapped the blanket around her to be polite. "I'll stay awake with you."

He smiled and sat back on the couch. "I have to admit, I've been meaning to introduce myself to you for a while now."

She looked at him not knowing how he knew who she was. There is no way she could've missed that hair.

"I don't mean to sound all creepy. It's a small town. A cloak is a pretty lame disguise I know but apparently it worked."

"That was you? I thought this place just had a lot of men in cloaks." They both laughed.

He told her about his shop and the best selling items. She told him what a horrible mess some of them made. She liked laughing. It had been a long time since she had laughed so much. The night went by quickly and she was surprised how sad she was to see the sky brighten through the window behind them. He noticed her looking. "You should be safe to head home now. Would you mind if I walked you to the shop? Just to make sure." He smiled innocently but she could see the hope in his eyes.

It was still cold outside when they made it to her shop. She was the manager and rented the apartment upstairs from the owner of the shop. "Thank you for walking me and for the tea."

"Again I am sorry for earlier. I hope you don't hold it against me."

"Don't worry about it. You can make it up to me sometime." She smiled as he lit up with excitement. She loved that she could reciprocate the joy that he gave her.

"Oh, really? And when would that be?" He smirked.

"You tell me."

"Tonight? Come by the shop when you finish up. I'll make you dinner as an attempted apology." They laughed.

"Tonight it is." She unlocked the door and opened it but hesitated in the doorway. He saw her pause and grabbed her hand. He placed a warm, soft kiss on the back of it. With that he turned away and walked back towards his shop.

She couldn't remember the last time she felt this way.

 _That was the longest day ever!_ Moira closed up the shop at exactly eight. She fixed her hair in the mirror by the front door. A small ripple moved across the mirror. She jumped back. Nothing happened. She shook her head. _My eyes are just messing with me. I should've taken a nap instead of taking lunch today._ She headed down to the shop. The front was much more noticeable when it wasn't hidden by a charm.

"Well hello there. I'm glad you made it. I'm almost finished but you can't laugh if it's awful." Fred lead her upstairs. There was another redhead sitting on the couch in the spot she had been in just that morning. "Moira this is George." Hellos were exchanged. She looked desperately for any difference in facial features so she wouldn't mix the two of them up. George's smile was welcoming but his eyes didn't have that excitement that Fred's had.

"Well, I'm off to Mom's. I'll talk to Dad about that new law and see if we can find some loopholes. It was nice to meet you Moira," He waved and apparated. Silence filled the room but it was almost immediately replaced by the clanking of dishes. Moira took up her spot on the couch, legs curled next to her. "Okay so like I said before, no laughing." He handed her a plate of chicken and green beans.

"It smells wonderful! Thank you!" She exclaimed as he sat down next to her.

Hours had passed and neither had looked at a clock. Fred yawned. She forgot that he hadn't gotten any sleep last night either. She didn't want to leave. She knew it wasn't proper to stay too late but she didn't want to leave. She laid her head against the back of the couch and yawned in response. "Tell me more about your family." She stretched her legs across his lap. She was liking him more with passing minute. He smiled and blushed a little.

"I can't say I have ever had this much attention without my brother around. I'll have to kick him out of the house more often." He winked at her which made her heart skip a beat. "I've been telling you all about my life but I don't know anything about you. Where did you live before here?"

This was the question she had been dreading but as always she had a well rehearsed response, "No place you've ever heard of. I left because there was nothing there worth mentioning. I do really like it here though. I've been meeting some really great people." She looked down at her hands blushing as she said the last part.

Suddenly his hands were on either side of her face. He pulled her into a soft kiss. An explosion of hormones released the moment his lips touched hers. This was not usual behavior for her. She had done a good job of keeping to herself since she moved here but she couldn't help herself. He pulled back a little but kept his hands on the sides of her face. He looked deep into her eyes looking for her response to his actions. She glanced quickly at his lips, instantly wanting them back against hers. He found what he was looking for and kissed her deeper this time. When he pulled away slowly, they were both breathing hard. Excitement raced through their bodies.

He kissed her very softly. She could tell he was working very hard to restrain himself from moving too fast. His body shook with desire. She didn't want to come across as one of the girls that gave it up too easily. It was still a new town even though she had been there a few months. He pulled away looking deep into her eyes once again, "I'm glad you came for dinner."

"I'm glad I did too." She smiled. She didn't want to leave that couch but she knew what would happen if she stayed. She wanted to wait until she knew him better. If she rushed then he would just disappear after. She knew how the game worked. "As comfy as I am, the store still opens at seven whether I am ready or not."

"We don't open until 11 for just that reason. Can I walk you back?" She happily accepted his offer. Her body felt cold when they stood up. All the heat from sitting against each other left instantly.

When they reached her store, she unlocked the door and hesitated in the doorway once again. "Thank you again for dinner. It wasn't too awful." She teased.

"At your service, my lady." He exaggerated a bow. She held her arms out for a hug goodbye and he happily accepted. He was so warm. His still smelt a bit like candy. He pulled back a little and kissed her gently on the lips. He started to pull away but decided almost as quickly against it. He pushed his body against hers and kissed her deeper. His hands moved up and down her back. His kiss was still soft but deeper with growing intensity. She loved every minute of it. She ran her fingers through his hair and he moaned a little. The sound made her knees buckle a little. He noticed and laughed quietly. "Sleep well, Moira." He kissed her hand and back away. She was sad to see him go but she knew it was for the best. If it was going to happen, waiting would make it all even more intense.

She locked the door behind her, charmed it, and leaned against the wall with a sigh.

"It's about time." A voice said from the other side of the room. She jumped and strained her eyes to see who it belonged to. "I know who you are and I know what you've done."


	3. Chapter 3

3

"It's about time." A voice said from the other side of the room. She jumped and strained her eyes to see who it belonged to. "I know who you are and I know what you've done."

The figure stepped toward her. He was tall and rather handsome; his white blond hair shown in the moonlight. She was frozen in place with fear. She thought she had covered her tracks completely. How could anyone have found her? She had never seen this man before.

"You are to come with me." He reached his hand out to her. She knew that if he was one of them that running would be no use. She accepted his hand and in that same moment she they apparated. When her head stopped spinning she opened her eyes. She found herself in a dark, but lavishly decorated room. It appeared to be a sitting room. "Now, you are not to speak unless spoken too." The man said while straightening his suit. "Am I understood?" She nodded in compliance. "Wait here." And with that he left through a door on the right. She heard no sounds except for her breathing.

 _I must calm down. Breathe. I won't be able to think straight unless I calm down._ She got her breath under control and looked around. There were three doors in total. The chairs looked as uncomfortable as the room felt. If it had ever been, it was not a place to entertain now. The only light came from a few candles scattered about.

The door the blond man had left through opened again, this time a taller version of the man from before came in. _They must be related, perhaps father and son by the look of their ages._

"Give me your wand." She slowly reached for her wand and handed it to him. She was careful not to let any sign of emotion cross her face. She did not want to betray her thoughts. _They always feed on weakness. If they don't know your weakness then you have a chance._ He inspected it thoroughly before returning it to her. "There will be no point in you using this here but I will give it to you as a notion of good intention. I know who you are, Moira. You are here to help me, and in return help yourself. I have many tasks which need your, well, _expertise_." He looked her up and down at that last bit.

She stiffened knowing well what was going to be asked of her. She wanted desperately to know who this many was and why he thought he would dare ask such a thing.

"You _will_ do what I ask of you. While you continue to follow my orders I will in return protect you from the Dark Lord. You have done well enough to hide yourself from him for now but his eyes will not remain averted long unless he has someone reminding him of somewhere else to look. Your skills would be very helpful to the Dark Lord and I know he wants you. I have other plans for you for now." He flicked his wand and a scroll popped out of a desk drawer and flew to her. "You will sign this and in doing so pledge your loyalty to me. Choosing otherwise would be _unwise._ "

She took out her wand and pointed it at the scroll. If she did not comply she knew that she would be instantly apparated to the Dark Lord's location and her capture would be greatly rewarded. Whatever this man had in store for her would be significantly better than what awaited her with the Dark Lord. She waved her wand slowly at the parchment and watched her name etch itself in red. She didn't wince at the pain. It was nothing compared to what she knew was coming.

"Escort Miss Moira to her chambers and make sure she does not leave your sight." The man said to the younger version of himself as he turned and left the room. The younger man nodded to her and she followed him out the door to the far left. They walked down a long, dark hall before coming to a rather grand staircase. They went up the stairs and to the right down another long hallway. There were many portraits, each with their own occupant. All were sleeping. The two of them made no sound, not even footsteps. This building was very large and she was unsure of how many people took residence here. The last time she was in a house of this stature it housed only one family and their servants. So many rooms that had not seen life since erected. It seemed such a waste.

After many turns and hallways they finally stopped. The man took a key out of his pocket and unlocked a door. Its creak pierced through the silence. She was sure it could be heard a mile away. She walked into the room and he followed in suit, closing and locking the door behind them. He pulled out his wand and whispered a few charms over the door. He motioned her to have a seat. There was a small couch in front of a fire. It was a rather large and grand room. On any other occasion she would have loved to admire all of its details. "Are you warm enough?" He asked. She nodded, surprised by the gesture. "I apologize for all of the secrecy. It was not safe to talk. I have placed a charm on the door so we can talk freely." He waved his wand a few times. The fire place lit up and a table with tea pulled itself to them. He poured them both some. "My name is Draco. That was my father earlier, Lucius. Even in our own home we are under constant surveillance."

She cautiously sipped her tea, watching him very closely. She had been tricked before. "Why am I here?" She proceeded slowly. She did not want to give any details of herself away.

He set his tea down and turned to face her, their knees almost touching. "Your reputation precedes you. Your, shall we say, knack, for getting inside someone's head is extremely useful when it comes to getting information that doesn't want to be shared. I know you were in hiding. I can understand that this might not be something you want to do but I must emphasize how important these tasks are to my family. You will not be given much detail other than a name, location, and the type of information you are to recover. You are to use any means necessary to gain this information. I will be accompanying you each time as requested by my father."

She nodded in understanding. She was not ready to return to her previous life. She had left it for a reason. Being forced to do those things…

She must have left a shutter pass through her emotionless exterior because he reached out and grabbed her hand. "I am truly sorry." She looked into his eyes. She found herself trusting him even though she knew she shouldn't. There was something in his eyes that conveyed an understanding deeper than she had ever seen. "Now you should get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day. You will be allowed to return to your bookstore in a few nights. Everything there has been taken care of for you. I will come for you again when we are ready for you."

She nodded again. There were so many questions she wanted to ask but she knew it was best to not speak. Years of training had taught her that silence and obedience keeps you alive. Right now. alive is exactly how she wanted to stay. She got up and walked to the bed which was relatively close. It was an oversized queen bed, with far too many pillows. She tossed many to the foot of the bed. Once she climbed in and lay down she looked over at her companion. He sat on the couch staring into the fire, deep in though. She eventually fell asleep but it was not restful. All of her old memories came flooding back: tortured faces, bloodied bodies, piercing screams, death.

"Moira, it's time to get up." She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. She was grateful to be torn from her awful dreams but sadden once more by the reality that she faced. "Sorry to scare you. Here are your clothes for today. Please dress quickly, the bathroom is just there." Draco handed her clothes then returned to the couch. The table had a tray with fresh tea, fruit, bagels, and other assorted food.

Once she had completed in the bathroom she took a moment of vanity and peered into the mirror. She looked as tired as she felt. On the counter below she saw a wide variety of makeup and quickly threw some on. She knew how families like this worked. She would be expected to look her best at any and all times. The clothes she had been given were more of a silk-sweat suit nature. It fit perfectly and was rather comfortable. Once she was satisfied with herself she returned to the fire and sat next to Draco. She drank the cup of tea he offered and nibbled on the food. She wasn't hungry but she knew whatever today entailed she was going to need her strength. When she had finished she looked up at Draco and saw the bags under his eyes. He must not have gotten much sleep on this couch, if he got any at all. She felt sorry for having slept in such a large, luxurious bed while he had remained sitting upright over here.

"Ready?" He asked while getting up. She did not respond but she stood up and followed him out. They walked back through the maze of a house and went even further this time. When they stopped she assumed they were in some sort of a two story basement. They proceeded into a dark room. "This is Maroc. He will be assisting you while I attend to other business. Remember what I said yesterday and I will return later for you." His eyes held hers for a moment but not long enough for anyone else to notice.

Maroc was a large man with a rather unruly head of hair. His face was covered in deep scars, some more recent than others. He pointed to a bundle on the ground in the far corner. "Mundungus here stole from a friend of mine. I need to know where the items are so that I can return them to their rightful owner. You have ten minutes."

Moira walked towards the bundle cautiously. "Mundungus?" She asked. The figure sat up at the sound of a woman's voice. It was the only sweet voice he had heard in however long he had been stuck in that dark room. He looked at her with one eye; the other was bruised and swollen. "Have you taken something that isn't your?" He nodded hesitantly. "I would really appreciate you telling this man where the items are. I don't want you to get hurt anymore." And she meant it. She didn't want to see him get hurt. She didn't want to see anyone get hurt.

He looked down at the ground. "I can't. They belong to me now."

She stood up taking a long deep breath. "I am very sorry about this." He looked up at her wide eyed. "Legitament!" She waved her wand at him and instantly dove into his mind. He was a rather sneaky and deceitful man but it was easy to find the information she needed because he was predictably egotistical. He tried to squirm away from the reaches of her probing mind but she had already gotten the location of the objects. "743 Tribal Way. You know which town." She said as she turned to Maroc. He smiled a crooked grin at her.

"That was an easy introduction for you; now for the next." She followed him into the adjacent room. This room was darkened as well but bright enough this time to clearly see a man tied to a chair, his body dripping in sweat. By the smell she guessed he had been stuck in that chair for about two days. "Scotts. Withholding information about the location of Billy and Annie Saunders." Maroc locked the door and stood in front of it this time.

Moira walked over to the man. "What's your name?" She didn't budge. She could barely see him breathing. "I need you to answer my questions." He whispered quietly. "I can't hear you." She knelt down.

"Please. It's my daughter. I cannot tell you." He whispered again.

This is the part she hated. Giving information to people she knew would abuse it. But she knew her fate if she did not comply. She had lost too much last time. There was very little fight left in her. She waved her wand in front of him and attempted to view his memories. He too quick though. He was able to block her out. She had hoped he would've been as easy as the last guy. She tried again but with no success. She took a deep breath and waved her wand again this time in a slashing motion at his leg. He screamed out in pain. Blood dripped onto the floor. She tried to penetrate is mind again. He was unwavering.

She stood behind him and slashed twice at his back, these ones deeper than the first. He screamed and convulsed so hard that he knocked himself and the chair over. His mind waivered slightly this time. She remained vigilant at his thoughts while continuing the physical torture. This is where she started to pulled herself apart from all of the other wizards.

She hated this so much but it also came so naturally to her. She pushed her finger into the wound on his back and said, "I can stop as soon as you give me that location." In the brief moment he stopped to consider her offer she was in. He wasn't able to regain his mental stance. In that moment he had forgotten about his daughter because all he could do was beg for the searing pain to stop. "3480 Ridgemond Lane, out in the country." She said aloud to Maroc. She couldn't look at the face of her victim as he cried on the ground in his own blood and urine. She couldn't let herself think of what she had done. She had lost loved ones from disobeying. She had seen them tortured for weeks on end before they were finally murdered. All because she had refused to help her Master.

The day went on with a total of seven cases. She managed to crack each and every one.

"Moira," a familiar voice called out. "Follow me." It was Draco. She followed him, allowing no emotion to arise on her face. Once back in the bedroom, charms placed on the doors she ran into the bathroom and locked the door. She turned the shower on and got in. She wanted to wash away all of the horror and memories the day had brought. She allowed a few tears to fall. She knew if she didn't cry now she would certainly burst in front of her captures later.

She climbed straight into bed. Not even looking at Draco. She knew he would be sitting by the fire once more.


	4. Chapter 4

4

She climbed straight into bed. Not even looking at Draco. She knew he would be sitting by the fire once more.

The next day was the same except for the last person, a young girl, not more than 12. This was not the first child Moira had interrogated, nor was she the youngest, but that didn't make it any easier. Normally children crack much faster than adults but this one was so scared that she had managed to lock away all of her memories into the deep recesses of her mind. It would take some careful maneuvering to not get pulled in so deep that Moira herself would never reemerge. She had seen it happen once before. It was a terrifying sight.

She took a deep breath and proceeded to hold the child in her arms. She would have to nurture the child before she would relax enough to allow a safe passage. This took time and she knew that the longer it took her the more she risked being punished herself. She held her hand out to Maroc signaling him to wait where he was because she had a process, that way he didn't think she was straying. She sat down and pulled the young girl into her arms and rocked her. She hummed a familiar lullaby whose words had been lost in her own memory. The young girl fell asleep and Moira proceeded to follow her into her dreams. The memories in this girl's head would make even the strongest adult mad. Moira watched the memories of the girl's parents being killed in front of her and memories of her favorite toy being soaked in their blood. Moira shook but forced herself to follow the train of thought. It eventually lead her to the information she needed, a list of names and faces that had found against her parent's murderers. Moira knew that they would all be dead shortly after she gave their names to Maroc.

Back in the room that night she didn't make it to the shower. She collapsed to the floor once the charms were set upon the door. She felt arms wrap around her and pick her up. Draco carried her to the couch and sat her down with her legs over his lap. "Drink this. It'll help." He held a cup to her lips. She took a sip. Whiskey. She took another sip knowing the burn would make all the other pain lessen. After a couple gulps she rested her head against the back of the couch. "Better?" He asked.

She nodded and looked up at him. "Thank you."

He gently pushed the hair out of her face. He looked deep into her eyes. She could see that he understood her pain. She could see that he knew there was nothing he could say that would comfort her. It did however comfort her to just have him there. Him. The son of the man forcing her to do all of this. She didn't understand it but here she was appreciating his presence.

He handed her a warm roll with jam. She ate it and another now realizing how hungry she had been. The just sat there for a while, sipping on whiskey and staring into the fire. Her mind was wonderfully blank at the moment.

"You get to go home tomorrow." He said flatly. She was excited to get to go home but she wasn't sure how good it would feel once she got there. "I will take you back after breakfast if you like." Her eyes started closing, she was having trouble staying awake. She felt her body lifted and moments later set into the bed. A gentle kiss was placed on her forehead.

She woke up in a panic. She looked around, it was dark except for the fire still burning in the fire place. The clock read 2:00am. Draco was watching her from the couch.

"Bad dream?" She nodded. "You've been tossing and turning for almost an hour now." He brought her a glass of water. She sat up and drank some happily.

"Do you ever sleep?" She joked with him. She scooted over and patted the bed where she had just been laying. He looked at her unsure of what to do. "Come on. I'll sleep better knowing you're not sitting uncomfortably on that couch all night." He smiled, took off his shoes and crawled in next to her. She lay down facing him, only a few inches away. He looked at her as if he was trying to read her thoughts. She scooted closer to him, longing for him to hold her in his arms. He smirked. It made her heart skip a beat. She knew he could tell how much she wanted him close to her. She hated to be vulnerable but he had already seen her collapse.

He reached out and gently stroked the side of her face with his fingertips. She scooted closer until she was barely against him. She could feel the warmth coming off his body. He slid his hand down her arm and to her back and then with a quick motion pulled her against his body. The sudden force took the air out of her. She giggled and snuggled in against his chest. After a while his breathing pattern began to slow and he drifted off to sleep, his arm never letting go of her.

Morning came too soon. The sunlight came in through the window. She pulled back a little and placed a kiss on Draco's forehead then whispered in his ear, "Good Morning." He groaned, clearly unhappy with the idea of morning and pulled her closer. It felt so good to be in his arms but she knew she had to get back to the bookshop before it opened or she would never be able to explain her sudden appearance. "What did you tell my boss about me suddenly not being there? I need to know what I'm getting myself into when I go back."

"I said your aunt was very ill and it was imperative that you visit at once. I said you would return in three days time." He said with a yawn, "but you might have to return to your aunt a few more times this month to help your family with care."

"So when will I be 'visiting my aunt' again?" wanting to know both when she would get to see him again and when she would have to get back to her contract.

"With in the week. I'm not sure specifically."

"Are you going to suddenly pop in and scare the crap out of me again?"

He laughed. "Did I scare you? Well maybe I will have to do it that way again." He smirked before kissing her, this time on the lips. It was amazing but over too quickly. He got out of bed before she could respond. She suddenly didn't want to leave.

He pulled some clothes out of the closet. "These are the clothes you came here in. They have been washed."

She climbed out of bed. Instead of going to the bathroom to change she decided to do it right there next to the bed. This behavior gave her such a rush of excitement she could barely contain herself. He stood by her watching her change, shocked that she was wearing nothing but her underwear and a bra. She put freshly washed clothes on and walked past him and sat down to her now ritual morning cup of tea and bagel. He eventually overcame his stunned state of being and joined her. Tension rose between the two but ignoring it made it even more intense.

"Ready?" He said when they finished. She nodded politely and they headed down stairs. They returned to the sitting room where they had first arrived only days before. She felt as though she had been there for months. He reached out his hand and she took it. A moment later she was back in her bookstore. She looked around, everything in its place. It looked the exact same except for the blond haired man standing with her still holding her hand. "I'll be back in a few days. Are you going to be okay in the mean time?" She nodded, looking forward to his return. He pulled her hard against him and kissed her deeply. He pulled back a moment later, smirked, and apparated away.


	5. Chapter 5

5

"I'll be back in a few days. Are you going to be okay in the mean time?" She nodded, looking forward to his return. He pulled her hard against him and kissed her deeply. He pulled back a moment later, smirked, and apparated away.

She spent the next few days in a daze. She was having trouble coming to terms with her newest contract. On the one hand she was free to life her life, unnoticed by the Dark Lord and on the other she had to do the dirty work of another twisted wizard. Regardless of how she chose to proceed, people were going to die and it was going to bed her fault. Her heart ached with the memories of others, they never left.

She closed shop and sat down in front of the fire. There was a knock at the door downstairs. She hurried to it.

"Hey Stranger," a red headed man stood in her door.

"Hey, Fred," Moira exclaimed. She had had so much on her mind all week that she had completely forgotten about him. "Come in. Would you like a cup of tea?" He took her in his arms and gave her a gentle, sweet kiss. He still smelled of candy. They walked upstairs and sat on the couch. "How's the shop?"

"It has been a good week. We managed to sell out of half our stock because Halloween is coming up. How are you? I heard about your aunt. I'm so sorry. Is everything okay?"

Her heart ached when she saw how deeply he cared. He had no idea what her week was like. He had no idea who she was. "Any chance we could talk about something else?"

"Of course" he replied. He slid closer to her. "How about we go somewhere instead?" They both stood up, eager to go off on an adventure. He draped his arm over her shoulder and apparated them both.

It was dark and cold. She felt the soft ground under her feet before her eyes adjusted. They were on a beach overlooking a large lake. The sky was clear and it was nothing but stars. "This is beautiful!" she said as she slowly turned in a circle, admiring the landscape.

"You see the lights over there? That's Hogwarts. My family and I all went there."

She loved castles. They had such rich history and were a source of strength. Fred picked up a rock and skipped it across the surface of the lake. The ripples broke the reflection of the moon and the stars. She joined him. He told her about a prank that he and George played on Ron- their younger brother- over the summer. She laughed freely.

Hours later, when it was too dark to stay outside, they apparated back to her shop. She loved how he made her laugh. He was always happy and positive. His family sounded wonderful too. That was the life she wanted, happy and loved. They raced up the stairs to the couch, tripping over each other the whole way. They threw themselves all tangled onto the couch laughing. Once they had exhausted themselves from laughing so hard Moira waved her wand and the fireplace roared to life. It was still cold in the room but the body heat between them was wonderful.

Fred sighed and laid his head on her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair breathing in his sweet sent. They fell asleep for about an hour before waking up with achy bodies from the couch. Half asleep, Fred grabbed her hand and walked her to her bedroom. She climbed into her cold bed and shivered. He climbed in next to her and wrapped her in his arms. The heat instantly warmed her. She smiled and almost instantly fell back asleep. For once she had no dreams; it was a wonderful break from the usual chaos.

When she woke it was 5:30am. The shop didn't open until 7 and there was nothing she needed to do to get it ready. It was nice to not be in a rush. Fred stretched next to her. "Good morning," she said as she kissed the tip of his nose.

He rolled on top of her and pinned her arms down. He smiled at her, leaned forward and placed kisses softly on her neck. A moan escaped her. "Good morning" he whispered in her ear. He jumped out of the bed, "I hate to rush but I have a shipment coming in at 5:45am and George is out of town until this afternoon." He straightened his clothes before leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "We should be done with testing in a couple days. I would love if you would come and check it all out when they are ready. I can't say any more until then, its top secret." He shrugged his shoulders up to emphasis how important is latest projects were. She laughed.

"Good luck. Let me know as soon as they are done! I can't wait to see! And don't get hurt in the process!" She pointed her finger at him remembering several of his stories where he or George burnt eyebrows off, had limbs broken, turned purple or got knocked out for hours. He saluted her then apparated away.


End file.
